Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method for automatically identifying a point of interest in a depth measurement of a viewed object, the method comprising the steps of: displaying on a monitor an image of the viewed object; determining the three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on a surface of the viewed object using a central processor unit; determining a reference surface using the central processor unit; determining at least one region of interest that includes a plurality of points on the surface of the viewed object using the central processor unit; determining a distance between each of the plurality of points on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest and the reference surface using the central processor unit; determining the point of interest as the point on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest having the greatest distance from the reference surface using the central processor unit; and determining if the point of interest is on a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the reference surface.
A method for automatically finding a specific point on an object in a 3D depth measurement, performed by: displaying an image of the object; calculating the 3D coordinates of multiple points on the object's surface; establishing a reference surface; defining one or more areas of interest on the object's surface; measuring the distance from each point in those areas to the reference surface; identifying the point of interest as the one furthest from the reference surface within those areas; and checking if the surface at that point is mostly perpendicular to the reference surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying on the monitor a graphical indicator at the location of the point of interest on the surface of the viewed object.
The method of finding a point of interest as described previously, further includes showing a marker (like a cursor) on the display at the location of the identified point of interest on the object's surface.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of comparing the distance of the point of interest from the reference surface to a threshold.
The method of finding a point of interest as described previously, further includes comparing the distance between the identified point of interest and the reference surface to a set threshold value. This allows filtering based on depth.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the point of interest on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest is protruding relative to the reference surface.
The method of finding a point of interest as described previously, where the identified point of interest is sticking out from the object relative to the established reference surface.
5. A method for automatically identifying a point of interest in a depth measurement of a viewed object, the method comprising the steps of: displaying on a monitor an image of the viewed object; determining the three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on a surface of the viewed object using a central processor unit; determining a reference surface using the central processor unit; determining at least one region of interest that includes a plurality of points on the surface of the viewed object using the central processor unit; determining a distance between each of the plurality of points on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest and the reference surface using the central processor unit; determining the point of interest as the point on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest having the greatest distance from the reference surface using the central processor unit; and determining if the point of interest is on a surface that is sloping downward relative to the reference surface.
A method for automatically finding a specific point on an object in a 3D depth measurement, performed by: displaying an image of the object; calculating the 3D coordinates of multiple points on the object's surface; establishing a reference surface; defining one or more areas of interest on the object's surface; measuring the distance from each point in those areas to the reference surface; identifying the point of interest as the one furthest from the reference surface within those areas; and checking if the surface at that point slopes downwards relative to the reference surface.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of displaying on the monitor a graphical indicator at the location of the point of interest on the surface of the viewed object.
The method of finding a point of interest as described previously, further includes showing a marker (like a cursor) on the display at the location of the identified point of interest on the object's surface.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the graphical indicator is a cursor.
In the method of displaying a marker at the identified point of interest as described previously, the marker used is a cursor.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of comparing the distance of the point of interest from the reference surface to a threshold.
The method of finding a point of interest as described previously, further includes comparing the distance between the identified point of interest and the reference surface to a set threshold value. This allows filtering based on depth.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining a reference surface comprises: selecting a plurality of reference surface points on the surface of the viewed object using a pointing device; and performing a curve fitting of the three-dimensional coordinates of the plurality of reference surface points.
In the method of finding a point of interest, determining the reference surface involves: selecting several points on the object's surface using a pointing device; and then using those points to calculate a fitted curve defining the reference surface.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the reference surface is one of a plane, a cylinder, and a sphere.
In the method of finding a point of interest, the reference surface is either a plane, a cylinder, or a sphere.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining a distance between each of the plurality of points on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest and the reference surface comprises determining the distance of a line extending between the reference surface and each of the plurality of points, wherein the line perpendicularly intersects the reference surface.
In the method of finding a point of interest, measuring the distance between points on the object's surface and the reference surface involves calculating the length of a line that extends from each surface point to the reference surface, intersecting the reference surface at a right angle.
12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the point of interest on the surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest is recessed relative to the reference surface.
In the method of finding a point of interest as described previously, the identified point of interest is recessed or sunken into the object relative to the established reference surface.
13. A method for automatically identifying a point of interest in a depth measurement of a viewed object having a first surface and a second surface that have a gap between them and are not parallel to each other, the method comprising the steps of: displaying on a monitor an image of the viewed object; determining the three-dimensional coordinates of a plurality of points on the first surface and the second surface of the viewed object using a central processor unit; determining a reference surface on the first surface of the viewed object using the central processor unit; determining at least one region of interest that includes a plurality of points on the second surface of the viewed object using the central processor unit; determining a distance between each of the plurality of points on the second surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest and the reference surface using the central processor unit; and determining the point of interest as a point on an edge of the second surface of the viewed object using the central processor unit.
A method for automatically finding a specific point in a 3D depth measurement on an object that has two non-parallel surfaces with a gap between them. It works by: displaying an image of the object; calculating the 3D coordinates of multiple points on both surfaces; establishing a reference surface on the first surface; defining one or more areas of interest on the second surface; measuring the distance from each point in those areas of the second surface to the reference surface; and identifying the point of interest as a point located on the edge of the second surface.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of displaying on the monitor a graphical indicator at the location of the point of interest on the second surface of the viewed object.
The method of finding a point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces as described previously, further includes showing a marker (like a cursor) on the display at the location of the identified point of interest on the second surface of the object.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the graphical indicator is a cursor.
In the method of displaying a marker at the identified point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces as described previously, the marker used is a cursor.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the viewed object is a turbine engine, the first surface of the viewed object is an inner surface of a shroud of the turbine engine, and the second surface of the viewed object is a turbine engine blade.
In the method of finding a point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces as described previously, the object being viewed is a turbine engine, the first surface is the inner surface of the shroud, and the second surface is a turbine engine blade.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining a reference surface comprises: selecting a plurality of reference surface points on the first surface of the viewed object using a pointing device; and performing a curve fitting of the three-dimensional coordinates of the plurality of reference surface points.
In the method of finding a point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces, determining the reference surface involves: selecting several points on the first surface using a pointing device; and then using those points to calculate a fitted curve defining the reference surface.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reference surface is one of a plane, a cylinder, and a sphere.
In the method of finding a point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces, the reference surface is either a plane, a cylinder, or a sphere.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining a distance between each of the plurality of points on the second surface of the viewed object in the at least one region of interest and the reference surface comprises determining the distance of a line extending between the reference surface and each point, wherein the line perpendicularly intersects the reference surface.
In the method of finding a point of interest on two non-parallel surfaces, measuring the distance between points on the second surface and the reference surface involves calculating the length of a line that extends from each point to the reference surface, intersecting the reference surface at a right angle.
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November 14, 2017
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